FMA OneShot Winry's Book
by writingISmyART
Summary: A cute story about the origin of that brown journal Edward always carries around. The one with the silver corner clasps, and the dinosaur looking thing on the cover.


**Full Metal Alchemist One-Shot:  
_ Fighting, Loving, and a Fight for Love _**

**- - - - - - - - - -**

"Winry!" Alphonse Elric screamed happily, standing beside his older brother Edward, who just rolled his eyes and tapped his foot impatiently.

"WINRY!" Edward suddenly shouted, more harshly than his brother had called out, "SO HELP ME IF YOU MAKE US LATE FOR SCHOOL AGAIN-"

"SHUT UP EDWARD!" Winry interrupted, coming out onto the second story balcony, "Jeez! I said I was coming!"

"You said that like 5 minutes ago!" Ed argued, readjusting the strap on his schoolbag, "But here we are, still waiting for you to get down here!"

Winry gritted her teeth. Oh! Why was she even friends with a jerk like Edward Elric?! How could she even like to be around someone that annoying and obnoxious and snappy…?

"Winry, come on!" he called once more, "I'm rushing you because if we're late for school again, you'll have to stay after, and then we won't get to go home for like, _ ever." _ He flashed his bright 10-year-old smile at her, and she couldn't help but smile back at him.

Right… That was why.

Winry ran back into her room. After grabbing her schoolbag from her desk, she ran down the stairs, where her Grandmother was cleaning up from their earlier breakfast. With a quick "Good-bye!" to her Grandma, and a pat on the head for her trusted dog, Den, she flew out the door to join the Elric boys.

"Well, let's get going," she said when they reached them, in a tone that sort of implied it hadn't been her fault they had been waiting so long.

Ed glanced over at Al with his mouth dropped open. Al just shrugged at him and walked along with Winry. Shaking his head in disbelief, Ed went along with the two of them.

"So, Winry, do you know what today is?" Al suddenly asked as they were walking down the dirt road to school. Edward tensed reflexively.

"Hm?" Winry tried to play dumb. Of course she knew what day it was, but she also knew that Edward hated any recognition of this particular day.

Ed lashed in a threat before Al could even open his mouth again, "Alphonse if you don't keep a lid on it, I'm going to transmute your mouth shut! _ Permanently!" _ Winry giggled. Ed was so measly… Nobody ever took his threats seriously.

"Aw, come now, brother," Al had sort of a worried look across his face. Like he was trying to decide whether he believed Ed or not. "You don't mean that," he half-heartedly challenged.

"Try me," Ed replied, crossing his arms over his chest, as if to add to the illusion that he was big, bad and untouchable. Winry couldn't help but giggle some more at this.

The three walked the rest of the way in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence though. It was more of a… 'There is nothing left to say after Ed gives a big tough guy speech' silence. With happiness and, yeah, even a bit of joy in the air.

When they reached the old schoolhouse, they went inside quickly to take their places. They sat on long benches in front of long tables, with Winry in the middle of Ed and Al, and Ed on the very end of the bench where they sat, third from the front. As usual, Ed only paid attention to the first two lessons – Science and Math. He was such a logic geek. Anything with formulas or equations was just like, the coolest thing ever to him.

During the third lesson – English – he pulled out an Alchemy book from his father's study at home, and placed it in his lap, where he could read it without getting caught. Winry sighed and continued copying the sentences the teacher had written on the chalkboard, knowing full well Ed was going to need these notes later. Though he would probably ask Alphonse before he asked her.

As if on queue during the fourth lesson – History – Alphonse became bored as well and pulled out an Alchemy book he had. Now both of them were definitely going to ask her for notes. This was basically their school routine. The only thing that ever changed was the times at which Ed would get bored during English, and Al would get bored during History. Otherwise, it was always the same. The Elric boys just couldn't get into the reality that was school.

After History was over, the two of them closed their books and pulled out their lunches from home that they kept in their schoolbags. Practically flying, the two boys ran out the door to eat outside, while Winry followed behind, just a bit slower. The three of them took up their normal spots, on the two lower branches of the giant oak beside the schoolhouse – Winry and Al on the lower branch, Ed on the one a little higher up – and ate their lunches blissfully.

Out of routine however, an older boy known as the bully of their class walked up to them that day, flanked by two of his jerk friends. "Hey, Elric!" he shouted up the tree.

Ed swallowed a bite of bread he had had in his mouth. "Which Elric, moron?" he asked, not even bothering to look down when he insulted the bully, "We both have the same last name."

The bully, Derek Tiner, clenched his teeth and balled his fists. Being a 13-year-old, he was a couple years older than Ed, Winry and Alphonse. He felt that he had control over kids younger than him, because of this age difference, and often enjoyed poking at Edward, since he was the only younger who would fight back. _ "You _ Edward," he snapped, then settled back a little to sound more snotty and less like he had just gotten bested by an Eric. "I hear it's your birthday today," he smirked, "Congratulations on becoming an 11-year old. Too bad you're still too short to live up to the title."

Quick as ever, Ed took off his shoe and threw it at Derek. Damn this kid pissed him off. "What did you just say?!" he shouted, completely pissed off.

Derek rubbed his head, just above his right ear, where the shoe had hit him. It had a good kick to it, considering it hadn't had a foot in it when it hit him. "I said you're pretty damn short for an 11-year-old, and you've got a temper to match!" he tried to goad Ed on.

"Shut _ up _ you stupid dipstick!" Ed shouted down to Derek, "Are you really looking for me to come down there and beat you up like every other day?"

"Edward…" Winry called to get his attention, "Please… No fighting… Not… Not today…" Her expression pleaded to him as if she were close to crying.

Ed's face twisted into a half frown and he simpered back down. "Fine…" he mumbled, unable to look her in the eyes when she looked like that, "…I'll just…I don't know…Kick his butt twice as hard tomorrow…"

_ "Brother…" _ Alphonse groaned, "Just when I think you're taking the high road, you come back with something like _ that." _

"Oi, stupid!" Derek yelled up, reminding them of his presence, "Tell your girlfriend to keep her nose out of this Ed!"

Ed gritted his teeth, _ "She _ is _ not _ my _ girlfriend!" _

"Oh right, I forgot," Derek jabbed, "She's just the little orphaned machine geek you always hang around with!" Derek's bully friends laughed with him, even though he hadn't really said anything remotely funny.

"HEY!" Ed and Al shouted in unison then exchanged a confused glance at having done so, before returning two daggered glares at Derek. "You leave Winry out of this!" Ed yelled, and Al back him up with, "Only a pathetic wimp would pick on a girl to make himself feel better!"

"It's not my fault the Automail dork's parents abandoned her to go fight in the war!" Derek yelled back, clearly happy about getting a rise out of _ both Elric's, _ "Maybe if she weren't so weirdly into metal junk, and more like a doctor, her parents wouldn't want to leave her behind so much!"

Ed stood up on the branch and pointed a hard index finger down at Derek. "If you say one more thing about Winry, I'm gonna come down there and put my fist through your face!" he threatened. Al stood up as well, "And I'll hold you still so he can land a good one!"

Winry looked back and forth between the two brothers. This was so… _ unlike them. _ Even when Derek made fun of Ed's size, or the boy's clothes or whatever else, it was never enough to get them this mad. Even Al, who _ never _ joined in on Ed's fights was getting upset over this. It was like; they were protecting her in a way. She blushed at the thought.

"Really? I only have to say one more thing?" Derek continued his bullying, "That's too bad, 'cause there are like, a billion things you can make fun of a girl who'd rather mess with tools like a boy than play with dolls like a normal girl! I'll bet she's not even a girl! I'll bet she's a boy who wears dresses 'cause he's lonely and wants attention!"

That was it. That was just too horrible to even say. Winry buried her face in her hands and cried. She hated it when people picked on the boys because she never wanted them to feel as bad as she did when she got picked on.

Ed noticed Winry's crying first and his actions no longer became his own. "THAT'S IT!" he screamed, jumping down and knocking Derek to the ground. Al followed right behind him, taking on one of Derek's friends. When the other one joined in, it was just kind of a fighting mess.

For a guy with such a big mouth, Derek sure couldn't measure up to even half the crap he spewed. Ed easily beat him up even before Winry went running for the teacher, (which was right after Al had dropped out of the tree), and then he was able to help Al out with the other two for a couple minutes before Derek could come back for a round two.

"Edward! Derek! Alphonse!" the teacher started shouting when she reached the ensuing chaos. She tried to pull them apart, but they just would separate.

Finally, Winry reached in and seized Edward's wrist. "ED, STOP!" she shouted, snapping him out of the haze of adrenaline that had been clouding his thinking. He and Alphonse both picked themselves up and backed away from Derek and his buddies – who more of dragged themselves up than picked themselves up.

"The five of you are staying afterschool!" the teacher announced, "And you are to have your parents meet with me tomorrow so we can discuss these reoccurring fights!"

"But we didn't even-" Ed began, but the look he got from their teacher told him to shut up, and shut up quick.

**- - -**

"All right Elric's, you can go," the teacher finally said as Al and Ed placed the last batted out erasers on the chalkboard.

Edward and Alphonse exchanged happy glances, and ran to collect their bags, smirking at Derek and his pals, who would be staying a bit longer. They ran out the schoolhouse door and started running in order to make it home in time for dinner, when a familiar voice suddenly shouted for them to wait up.

They stopped a couple feet from the schoolhouse and looked back. Winry was on that same lower branch of the tree beside the schoolhouse. She tucked a book she had been reading in her bag and jumped down from the tree. Unfortunately, the strap from her bag got caught and she was stuck, hanging from the tree. Resisting the urge to laugh, the two boys ran over to help her down.

Edward abandoned his bag on the ground and scrambled up the tree. Alphonse stood near Winry, waiting until Ed unhooked her bag and dropped her, then caught her up in his arms.

"Thank you Alphonse!" she said as he placed her on the ground, then turned up to Ed, "Thank you too, Edward."

Ed just shrugged and hopped down, landing on the ground in a slight crouch before standing up. "Way to get yourself stuck in a tree, dummy," he teased, going over to grab his bag.

"Brother, you're so mean!" Al defended Winry, "You know she didn't do it on purpose!"

"I don't know anything," he replied, and though he didn't actually shrug again, his tone conveyed that he would have. He threw his bag over his shoulder and walked past them. Winry and Alphonse followed beside him.

A little later, the three of them were laughing and playing tag when they reached the fork in the road that separated them to their different houses. The three stopped playing, but continued smiling as they said their good-byes, knowing that they would see each other again tomorrow.

The Elric's started walking over the bridge when they heard Winry yelling breathlessly behind them. They stopped and waited for her to catch up, but before they could ask what she was doing, she shoved a package wrapped in blue paper at Edward.

"What the-?" It took Ed a moment to remember, "No! No way!" He tried to give the package back to Winry, "Take it. I don't do birthday presents."

Winry looked down at the package he had rejected. "B-But…" she sniffed. She had spent all this past week trying to find the perfect gift, then ran all the way back here to give it to him. She tried to stop them, but two tears fell from her eyes and plunked down on the package. "Ed-Edward…" she looked up at him through blurry eyes.

Ed swiped the package back, "Okay, jeez," he told her, "Stop crying. I'll take the stupid box."

Winry still looked upset.

He sighed, "And thanks."

A wide smile crossed Winry's face and she gave a slight bow to the two of them. "Happy Birthday, Edward," she told him, and then ran off to get home.

"What a troublesome girl," Ed muttered, his eyes falling on the package.

Suddenly, the blue box disappeared from his hands. Ed looked around haphazardly and found Al shaking it around close to his ear. "Well if you don't want it brother, I'll take it," he suggested, "I always like Winry's gifts."

"You'll get your own in two months when you turn 10!" Ed snapped, seizing the package back from Alphonse.

"Aw… You _ do _ want it!" Al teased, "And probably only because it's from_ Winry!" _

Ed took a swing at his brother, but Al ducked just in time. "Shut up, Al!" he yelled at his younger brother.

Alphonse laughed, "Brother's got a girlfriend! Brother's got a girlfriend!" he chanted, avoiding a few more of Ed's randomly thrown punches. When Ed gave up and started stalking off, Al ran to catch up with him. "Aren't you going to open it?" he asked, motioning to the package.

"Shut up," Edward tore open the paper covering the box, "I was just about to anyway!"

After the paper, Ed pulled the top off the inner box and pulled out the present that lay inside of it. At first glance, it was just an ordinary book, with an odd, dinosaur-looking symbol imprinted on the front. The inside, however, was empty, with blank page after blank page just waiting to be filled, and little silver cusps on the corners.

"Whoa…" Al reached for the pocketbook, but Ed was fast enough to move it away from him before he could take it. "So…" Al pressed, "What are you going to use it for?"

Ed shrugged, "Just how am I supposed to know? I'll probably just save it until something comes along that I want to write down."

"You should save it for something special," Al suggested, "It's a pretty cool book. One of a kind even."

Ed put a hand on Al's forehead and shoved him back a step so he would stop eyeing up Ed's notebook in such a freakish way. "Duh," Ed placed the book back in the box to protect it, "I know that much Al. I'm not an idiot."

Alphonse rubbed his forehead and frown at Edward. "Maybe you could write a novel or something," he offered, "Or an autobiography of your life."

Ignoring Al, Ed glanced down at the book in the box he held. What a cool gift. He was going to have to break away from Al sometime to give Winry a proper "Thank-you". He started wondering where she might have gotten the book. It didn't really look like anything she could have made… Perhaps it was a book of her fathers before he passed away? If that was true, was it really okay for him to accept it?

"… and you'd have to put Winry in it, since I'm sure you plan on marrying her someday…"

Ed froze, _ What did he just say? _

"Hmm?" Al paused beside Ed and poked his brother in the shoulder, "Why'd you stop, brother?"

"W-W-Wha…" he had to swallow before he could continue, _ "What?!" _

Alphonse snickered, "What's the matter Brother? We've talked about this before," Al mentioned, continuing to walk past the tongue-tied Edward, "I know you want to marry Winry, but don't count on it. She'll marry me ten times over before she marries you."

"You're pretty cocky for someone who's a whole year younger than her!" Edward snapped out of his stunned-ness, "What makes you think she'd ever marry _ you?" _

Al pivoted back to look at Ed, "What makes you think she wouldn't?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Ed asked. He was starting to take on a cocky tone of his own, "She is totally in love with _ me. _ You haven't got a chance."

Alphonse reached forward and snatched the box with the pocket-book in it from Edward. Immediately, Ed tried to get it back. When it became clear that his brother was just a bit too fast for him to snatch it back, Ed socked him in the gut so he dropped the box and Ed could get it back.

"Brother! You're such a jerk!" Al snapped, giving Ed a hard shove when he said 'jerk', "No way Winry would want to marry someone as mean and violent as _ you!" _

Maybe it was just in their nature, but the two boys began fighting. Exchanging blows back and forth. Never hurting each other hard enough for serious injury, but hard enough to see they were both fighting for a reason.

Eventually, their malice waned; their energy faded and they collapsed out of exhaustion under a scarlet sunset.

"Mom's... going... to kill... u-us..." Ed panted. He lay of his back looking up at the sky, with his arm and legs spread out across the ground.

Al wanted to nod, but his head hurt too much. "Y-Yeah..." he agreed.

They both took a moment of silence before Ed asked, "Do... you r-really... want to... m-marry... W-Winry... so much?"

"Y-Yeah... A-And you?"

"Y-Yeah."

Al sighed, "S-So... What do... we do?"

Edward thought about this throughoutly. There were many many answers to this question, but only one seemed to fit right. He shrugged, though it hurt like hell to do so, "We wait."

A flock of birds passed above the two boys. Alphonse followed them with his eyes until they left his vision. "Oh..." he could breathe a little easier now, "For her to choose?"

"Yep."

For over an hour those two laid in the road, until at last their mother - sick with worry and out looking for them - found them there. She didn't ask questions. She could see from the cuts and bruises that they had been fighting, and from the smiles could tell they had made up. She helped them both stand up - their bodies were sore from fighting and stiff from lying on the ground for so long - then the three made their way home slowly.

Ed suddenly realized something. "Wait!" he spun around and as fast as he could - without bringing on a ton of pain - and jogged back a little to retrieve the box with the journal inside it. He looked down at the cover and smiled.

So… This time the fight hadn't ended as it normally did. Both had been too exhausted for Al to run off to the river, and Ed to chase him down. They had fought harder today than ever before, but probably not harder than they ever would later on in life. He couldn't decide if this was good or bad, so he kind of just let it be.

But there was one thing Al didn't know. Here. Today. With one hand on the book Winry had given him for his birthday, Edward swore one thing.

_ Whether Alphonse liked it or not, Ed was going to make Winry his wife one day. Then, they would be happy. _

Who knew? Maybe he _would_ write his life story down in this book...

Yeah, or not.


End file.
